Sheet wave water attractions were pioneered as a water ride designed to give users the experience of riding a perfect wave on a board. The concept of a sheet wave water attraction is based on a design that uses a water delivery system to pump a high volume of water through a nozzle. The nozzle is designed to shape the flow of water into a sheet formation, which then flows over a ramp. The ramp typically increases in elevation as it extends away from the nozzle and causes the sheet of water to simulate the shape of a wave. A user may ride a board on the sheet wave that flows over the ramp.
The Flowrider™ is one provider of a conventional sheet wave water attraction. In the last decade other companies such as Pacific Surf Designs™ and Murphys Waves™ have created other sheet wave products which resemble the Flowrider sheet wave water attraction.
The problem with these sheet flow water attractions is that they require significant infrastructure, including a pool or container of water, water chlorinating systems, water heating systems, piping and, typically, the construction of a custom built container or other housing structure. It is up to the purchaser of conventional water attractions to hire contractors and/or engineers to construct the necessary infrastructure.
Due to these expensive infrastructure requirements a sheet wave water attraction typically may only be installed in specific locations and at relatively great cost. These requirements make getting requisite approvals for land use, purchasing, and installing one of these sheet wave water attractions difficult. Consequently, there is a need in the industry for a sheet wave attraction that is more affordable, that does not need dedicated land usage, and that does not require the construction of such complex infrastructure.
In the prior art, the applicant is aware of the following patents and published patent applications: U.S. Pat. No. 6,964,069, which issued on Nov. 15, 2005, to Anthony Thomas English and Anthony Nathaniel English, entitled: “Floating Wave Making Apparatus”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,101, which issued on Dec. 15, 1992, to Light Wave, Ltd., entitled: “Surfing-wave Generators”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/052,726, which was published on Apr. 17, 2014, under publication no. 2014-0106890 to Pacific Surf Designs, Inc., entitled: “Water Attractions Involving a Flowing Body of Water”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/074,849, which was published on Nov. 20, 2008, under publication no. 2008-0286048 to Brandon Carnahan and Richard Carnahan, entitled: “Sheet Flow Water Ride Apparatus and Method”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,117, which issued on Mar. 28, 1995, to Thomas J. Lochtefeld, entitled: “Method and Apparatus for Containerless Sheet Flow Water Rides”; Canadian Patent No. 2,005,916, which issued on Oct. 24, 2000, to Charles E. Sauerbier and Thomas J. Lochtefeld, entitled: “Improvements in Surfing-wave Generators”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,590, which was issued Apr. 14, 1998, to Thomas J. Lochtefeld, entitled: “Method and Apparatus for a Sheet Flow Water Ride in a Single Container”.